The present invention relates to guns, including guns for use in the sport of paintball.
Conventional firearms have a firing mechanism to fire a projectile and a barrel to direct the projectile in a desired direction. Guns are made for numerous purposes and include many designs, for example, rifles, shot guns, and hand guns. A broad array of different mechanisms for firing a projectile have been employed for various types of guns. For example, one type of gun is dependant on having a propellant combined with the projectile. In this type of gun, the firing mechanism detonates the propellant contained in the projectile, which launches the projectile along the barrel. This type includes shot guns, which fire cartridges comprised of shot packaged with explosive material, and conventional rifles, machine guns, and handguns, which shoot bullets comprised of a unitary slug packaged with explosive material in a casing.
Another method of firing a projectile uses a propulsion source separate from the projectile, such as compressed gas, including air, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and others. Examples of such guns include, air riffles, BB guns, and paintball guns or xe2x80x9cmarkers.xe2x80x9d These guns either include a pump for compressing ambient air or are adapted to receive compressed air from a source, such as a compressed gas cartridge or gas cylinder. Conventional paintball guns rely on such cartridges or gas cylinders for supplying compressed gas, including air, nitrogen and carbon dioxide.
FIG. 13 illustrates the general components of a prior-art open-bolt, blow-back paintball gun. Gun 1xe2x80x2 comprises a grip 4xe2x80x2 and a receiver 6xe2x80x2. Grip 4xe2x80x2 is attached to receiver 6xe2x80x2 by bolts 2xe2x80x2,2xe2x80x2. Grip 4xe2x80x2 comprises a frame 8xe2x80x2 housing a trigger 9xe2x80x2 and sear 12xe2x80x2 for actuating the firing sequence of gun 1xe2x80x2 to fire the projectile, such as a paintball 15xe2x80x2 (shown in shadow). As described in greater detail below, a firing mechanism is powered by a volume of compressed gas supplied from a compressed gas source (not shown).
As shown in FIG. 13, receiver 6xe2x80x2 comprises a first bore 22xe2x80x2 and a second bore 23xe2x80x2. The second bore 23xe2x80x2 is adapted to receive valve body 52xe2x80x2, which partitions second bore 23xe2x80x2 into a first chamber 24xe2x80x2 and second chamber 26xe2x80x2. Valve body 52xe2x80x2 has coaxial bores 53xe2x80x2 and 54xe2x80x2, which are transverse to bore 59xe2x80x2, which act as fluid ports 53xe2x80x2 and 54xe2x80x2 and 59xe2x80x2. The diameters of bores 53xe2x80x2, 54xe2x80x2 and 59xe2x80x2 are selected to achieve a ratio of fluid flow between port 54xe2x80x2 and 59xe2x80x2 to accommodate the proper firing and reload functions of the gun, as described below. Valve body 52xe2x80x2 is sealed by 0-rings 48xe2x80x2 and 50xe2x80x2, and secured in receiver 6xe2x80x2 by bolt 56xe2x80x2. Poppet 51xe2x80x2 is seated in ports 53xe2x80x2 and 54xe2x80x2 and maintained by spring (not shown). Poppet 51xe2x80x2 is comprised of valve pin 60xe2x80x2 and valve cup seal 62xe2x80x2. Valve cup seal 62xe2x80x2 is threaded on valve pin 60xe2x80x2.
Receiver 6xe2x80x2 further houses a firing assembly 25xe2x80x2 comprising a rear housing 27xe2x80x2, a hammer 29xe2x80x2, and a firing bolt 31xe2x80x2. In particular, firing bolt 31xe2x80x2 is housed in first bore 22xe2x80x2 and hammer 29xe2x80x2is housed in second chamber 26xe2x80x2. Firing bolt 31xe2x80x2 is further attached to a cocking shaft, which passes through the rear housing 27xe2x80x2 and terminates in a cocking knob 33xe2x80x2. Rear housing 27xe2x80x2partially houses and retains spring retainer 37xe2x80x2, which supports spacer 38xe2x80x2 and spring 39xe2x80x2. Spring 39xe2x80x2 fits in hammer 29xe2x80x2, which is connected to firing bolt 31xe2x80x2 by pin 42xe2x80x2. Bolt 34xe2x80x2 may be rotated to increase or decrease tension on spring 39xe2x80x2, which in turn adjusts the speed with which hammer 29xe2x80x2 is released and, as a result, controls the amount of compressed air that is released, which ultimately controls the velocity of the paintball when fired. Firing assembly 25xe2x80x2 is secured in receiver 6xe2x80x2 by pin 36xe2x80x2.
Pulling back on the cocking knob 33xe2x80x2 pulls firing bolt 31xe2x80x2 toward the ready (cocked) position. Because firing bolt 31xe2x80x2 is connected by pin 42xe2x80x2 to hammer 29xe2x80x2, hammer 29xe2x80x2 is also drawn back until hammer 29xe2x80x2 deflects sear 12xe2x80x2, and sear 12xe2x80x2 engages hammer catch 47xe2x80x2 on hammer 29xe2x80x2. When hammer catch 47xe2x80x2 is so engaged by sear 12xe2x80x2, hammer 29xe2x80x2 is in the ready position. When trigger 9xe2x80x2 is pulled, trigger 9xe2x80x2 rotates sear 12xe2x80x2 around pin 49xe2x80x2, disengaging hammer 29xe2x80x2 from sear 12xe2x80x2 and releasing hammer 29xe2x80x2 into the firing position, thus initiating the firing sequence, described as follows.
When hammer 29xe2x80x2 hits valve pin 60xe2x80x2 of poppet 51xe2x80x2, poppet 51xe2x80x2 is unseated from port 53xe2x80x2, and pressurized air contained in first chamber 24xe2x80x2 is released through port 53xe2x80x2 and discharges through valves 54xe2x80x2 and 59xe2x80x2. At this point in the firing sequence, when hammer 29xe2x80x2 is near the valve pin 60xe2x80x2 (the firing position), bolt port 57xe2x80x2 is aligned with port 59xe2x80x2. Thus, when compressed air is released from first chamber 24xe2x80x2, some of this air flows through port 59xe2x80x2, which then flows through bolt port 57xe2x80x2 to fire projectile 15xe2x80x2.
Meanwhile, the remaining portion of air, which flows through port 53xe2x80x2 but does not flow through bolt port 59xe2x80x2, instead flows through port 54xe2x80x2. This air creates pressure in blow-back chamber 63xe2x80x2, which is formed by second chamber 26xe2x80x2 and hammer 29xe2x80x2, creating air pressure against hammer 29xe2x80x2 to recoil (or xe2x80x9cblow backxe2x80x9d) hammer 29xe2x80x2 toward the ready position, until sear 12xe2x80x2 engages hammer catch 47xe2x80x2. Vent 64xe2x80x2 releases the air pressure in the blow-back chamber 63xe2x80x2 as the hammer 29xe2x80x2 is propelled into the ready position, so that hammer 29xe2x80x2 may fire again in the next round. After hammer 29xe2x80x2displaces poppet 51xe2x80x2, tension from spring (not shown) along with compressed air pressure against poppet 51xe2x80x2 reseats poppet 51xe2x80x2, closing port 53xe2x80x2. Gun 1xe2x80x2 is now recocked and ready for firing. This firing sequence is known as semi-automatic, because the gun automatically recocks itself after firing.
As will be understood by one of skill in the art, the balance of compressed gas flowing between ports 54xe2x80x2 and 59xe2x80x2 will affect the velocity of the projectile 15xe2x80x2 and the velocity that hammer 29xe2x80x2 is xe2x80x9cblown backxe2x80x9d. One way of apportioning the amount of air that flows through either port 54xe2x80x2 or port 59xe2x80x2 of valve body 52xe2x80x2 is established by the respective diameters of ports 54xe2x80x2and 59xe2x80x2. Another way of establishing the respective air flow between port 54xe2x80x2 and 59xe2x80x2 is by adapting a non-circular cross-section for valve pin 60xe2x80x2. For example, valve pin 60xe2x80x2 may be provided with a longitudinal cut away or groove, which allows additional airflow through port 54xe2x80x2. These variables may be adjusted by those skilled in the art to achieve an optimum balance for gas efficiency and firing velocity.
A drawback to conventional blow-back paintball guns 1xe2x80x2 makes it difficult to replace the hammer 29xe2x80x2 after disassembly after cleaning. When hammer 29xe2x80x2 is removed from receiver 6xe2x80x2, the sear 12xe2x80x2 extends into receiver 6xe2x80x2 and blocks the path of hammer 29xe2x80x2, preventing hammer 29xe2x80x2 from returning into receiver 6xe2x80x2. In conventional blow-back paintball guns 1xe2x80x2, sear 12xe2x80x2 must be manipulated into a disengaging position, which can be achieved by removing grip 4xe2x80x2, actuating trigger 9xe2x80x2 and sear 12xe2x80x2 assembly, or manually disengaging sear 12xe2x80x2 before returning hammer 29xe2x80x2 into receiver 6xe2x80x2.
The introduction of debris into the firing mechanism of any firearm can affect the ability of the firearm to fire a projectile and affect the accuracy of the shot. For example, debris can jam the firing mechanism or debris can deflect or obstruct the path of a projectile within the barrel. In the case of paintball guns, the projectile is a paintball, which is a volume of paint encased in a spherical shell comprised of a breakable casing. The paintball is designed to explode upon impact against an intended target, but occasionally paintballs inadvertently break prematurely before impact, and can even burst while loading or firing within the paintball gun. Paint residue from an exploded paintball remaining inside the paintball gun typically inhibits the trajectory and speed of later-fired paintballs and can even jam the paintball gun.
As a result, it is desirable to provide an improved paintball gun that is easily disassembled and reassembled for cleaning. It is also desirable to provide a high-performance paintball gun that can be manufactured more cost-effectively by the use primarily of polymer material rather than metal. The present invention solves the foregoing and other problems in the art and satisfies the industry demands.
It is an object of the invention to provide an apparatus for firing a paintball projectile, wherein the apparatus comprises a grip and a receiver hingingly attached to the grip, which enables the grip and the receiver to move from an adjacent position to an open position. The invention further provides a projection on one of either the grip or the receiver, which if cooperatively engages a retainer fixedly attached to the other of either the grip or the receiver. The projection and the retainer thus cooperate to selectively engage each other, thereby retaining the grip and the receiver in a fixed relationship. It is a further object of the invention for the projection to be adapted to receive the retainer and to provide the retainer to be capable of moving from a first position to a second position, wherein the retainer engages with the projection in the first position and the retainer disengages the projection in the second position.
In a further aspect of the invention, the apparatus further comprises a safety retainer. In this aspect of the invention, the apparatus has a hammer housed within the receiver and the hammer is capable of moving from a ready position to a firing position when the grip and the receiver are in the adjacent position. A safety retainer is associated with the receiver, and a safety projection is associated with the grip. The safety retainer and safety projection engage one another when the hammer is in the ready position, and thereby maintain the grip and the receiver in the fixed relationship, regardless of whether the projection and the retainer are engaged. This prevents an inadvertent release of the grip and the receiver during operation.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, a safety member is provided that prevents the retainer from disengaging the projection when the hammer is in the ready position. This prevents the apparatus from being opened when the hammer is cocked. According to another feature of the safety member, when the hammer is not in the ready position and when the retainer is not in the first position, the retainer urges the safety member into a position whereby the safety member blocks the hammer from moving into the ready position. This prevents the hammer from being cocked if the apparatus is not securely closed.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, when the grip and the receiver are in the open position, the hammer may be inserted into the receiver without contacting the sear.
In another aspect of the present invention, the apparatus for firing a paintball projectile comprises a grip, a firing assembly, which comprises a rear housing, a hammer, and a firing bolt, and a receiver for housing the firing assembly. A projection is provided on one of either of the firing assembly or the grip, and a receptacle is provided on the other of either the firing assembly or the grip. The receptacle cooperates to selectively engage the projection, thereby retaining the firing assembly in the receiver.
In yet a further aspect of the invention, a receiver is provided for firing a projectile. The receiver comprises a body, which defines a first bore and a second chamber. The second chamber is adapted to receive a hammer, which has a leading end. The hammer travels along a defined path within the second chamber. The body defines a vent between the first bore and the second chamber along at least a portion of the path of the leading end of the hammer.
In a further aspect of the invention, a receiver for firing a projectile is provided. The receiver comprises a body, which defines a first bore adapted to receive a firing bolt and a first chamber adapted to contain compressed fluid. The body further defines a first port integrally formed by the body for communicating compressed fluid from the first chamber to the first bore. The body further defines a second chamber adapted to receive a hammer, and the body further defines a second port integrally formed by the body for communicating compressed air from the first chamber to the second chamber. In another aspect of the invention, a valve body is integrally formed from the receiver, which defines a first port for communicating fluid between the first chamber and the first bore. The valve body further defines a second port for communicating fluid from the first chamber to the second chamber.
The invention further provides a process for making a receiver for firing a paintball comprising the following steps. Insert a core into a mold. The core comprises a first cylinder, a second cylinder, and a web attaching the first cylinder in parallel to the second cylinder, thereby forming two linearly-adjacent cylinders. The next step is to inject a plastic material into the mold. Next, remove the core from the mold. Finally, remove the receiver from the mold.
The invention further provides a process for making a receiver for firing a paintball comprising the following steps. Insert a core into a mold. The core comprises a first cylinder having a first diameter, a second diameter, and a third diameter, wherein the second diameter is smaller than the first and third diameters. The core further comprises a second cylinder positioned in parallel with the first cylinder. Next inject a plastic material into the mold. Next, remove the core from the mold and the receiver from the mold. Finally, create an airflow passage between the second diameter of the first cylinder and the second cylinder.
The foregoing features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following more detailed description of the invention. Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description and accompanying figures.